Reference: Workplace Safety and Health (Facilities) (Control of Major Accident Hazards) Regulations, 2013

Facility (Regulation 10(1))

(a) any onshore premises where hazardous substances, in the quantities specified in the Order –

(i) have been present, are present, are intended to be present, or may be present during loss of control of any process; or

(ii) are being used, or prepared for use;

(b) any offshore premises whose primary use has included, includes or will include one of the following activities –

(i) the recovery, processing or storage of hazardous substances, or any combination of those activities;

(ii) the provision of offshore accommodation for persons working on another such premises, whether connected to that other premises or not; or

(c) any premises that has drilled or serviced, drills or services, or will drill or service a well for any hazardous substance; and

(d) includes –

(i) any well connected to the facility by pipe or cable;

(ii) such part of any pipeline or other conveyance system connected to the facility as is within 500 metres of any part of an offshore facility structure or within the boundary line of onshore facility;

(iii) any apparatus or works which are situated –

(A) on, or affixed to, the facility’s main structure;

(B) wholly or partly within 500 metres of any part of an offshore facility’s main structure and associated with a pipe connected to any part of that facility;

(C) wholly or partly within the boundary line of an onshore facility and associated with a pipe or system of pipes connected to any part of that facility.

Fixed facility (Regulation 10 (2))

Facility which is designed and intended to operate at a single location and includes a mobile facility or vessel converted for use at a single location so long as it is not move from that location.

Part of fixed facility (Regulation 10 (3)

1. Equipment, structures, pipework, conveyance systems, machinery and tools

2. Railway sidings, docks and unloading quays serving the facility

3. Jetties, single buoy mooring and associated pipeline, warehouses, bulk storage tanks and associated structures which are necessary for the operation of the fixed facility.

Definition of operation or intended to operate for facility (Regulation 2(2))

Fixed Facility (Regulation 2. (2)(a))

1. When a hazardous substance is present

2. On the start of the first well drilling operation from the facility which could potentially involve the release of a hazardous substance

3. When the facility is used for the provision of accommodation, temporary or otherwise, for any number of persons

Material Change (Regulation 3(1))

any change in design or operations that is significant to require a re-submission of the notification or Safety Case, and includes -
(a) physical changes to the plant;
(b) changes to operational parameters;
(c) organisational or staff changes; or
(d) change in risk profile;

Safety Case for a Fixed Facility (Regulation 13)

(1) The duty holder of a fixed facility shall ensure that it is not operated unless - (a) he has prepared a Safety Case containing the particulars specified in regulation 17(1) and Schedule 2;
(b) he has submitted the Safety Case to the competent authority at least 6 months (or such shorter period as the competent authority may specify) before the start of operations; and
(c) he has received a Safety Case Certificate which shall be valid for a term not exceeding 5 years from the competent authority.

(2) Where there is a material change in any of the particulars notified pursuant to sub-regulation (1)(a) prior to the competent authority issuing a Safety Case Certificate, the duty holder shall, as soon as practicable, notify the competent authority of that change.

(3) Sub-regulation (1)(a) shall only require the particulars in the Safety Case to demonstrate the matters referred to in that sub-regulation to the extent that it is reasonable to expect the duty holder to address them at the time of submitting the Safety Case to the competent authority.

Particulars in Safety Case for Fixed Facility - Schedule 2